


The Most Honourable of Friends

by theangryuniverse



Series: Lord Nikiforov takes a Mate [3]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alpha Victor Nikiforov, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Historical, Alternate Universe - Victorian, Baby hormones make everything very dramatic, Fluff, I wrote this instead of working on my thesis, M/M, Mpreg, Omega Katsuki Yuuri, Romance, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings, Yuuri is a great friend, garden party, marriage problems
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-11
Updated: 2020-07-11
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:00:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,932
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25205857
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theangryuniverse/pseuds/theangryuniverse
Summary: London's high society is a lion's den.That much Yuuri knows as he and Victor attend a garden party of their closest friends.
Relationships: Katsuki Yuuri/Victor Nikiforov, Phichit Chulanont/Christophe Giacometti
Series: Lord Nikiforov takes a Mate [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1741048
Comments: 43
Kudos: 383





	The Most Honourable of Friends

**Author's Note:**

> Did you really think I would be able to leave my Victorian boys alone?  
> Good lord, no.   
> I should have been working on my MA thesis today. Instead, I wrote THIS.

It is no secret that Lord Nikiforov has a spring in his step these days.

But only after the morning sickness vanished for good did Victor actually transform – from an overly cautious, worried alpha to a proud and smitten husband.

And indeed, he can hardly take his eyes off his Yuuri.

Yuuri, whose cheeks have become rosy in colour, and who has begun to almost glow. Pregnancy becomes him, Victor thinks every single time he looks at him, and he cannot help but reach out to touch his mate’s rounded belly and feel the life within.

It is the most joyful time of their lives; Victor is sure of it.

“I cannot believe I agreed to this,” Yuuri mutters, more to himself than to anyone else as he stands before the mirror and lets Clara help him into his dress. “I cannot go out like this. I am huge.”

Victor, who is sitting on the sofa by the fire, shakes his head. “Yuuri, you are the most beautiful. Just look at you.”

“I am huge,” Yuuri says again, a hand on his belly as Clara adjusts the maternity corset once more to make sure it is flattering as well as comfortable. And indeed, his belly has grown and is no longer possible to hide. “I will look ridiculous in anything I wear very soon.”

Victor sighs and gets up, nodding at Clara, who steps back and lets her master continue with what is usually her work. Victor helps Yuuri into his dress, carefully buttoning it. “Darling, you look beautiful in everything you wear. Regardless of your condition. And if you allow me to be entirely honest, I find that pregnancy—”

“—becomes me, I know,” Yuuri murmurs. But he struggles to believe it himself, is overly self-conscious, and it pains Victor that Yuuri, his beautiful Yuuri, doubts himself all the time.

Clara excuses herself, and once they are alone Victor presses a kiss to Yuuri’s temple. “I wish that you could see what I see,” he says from where he stands behind Yuuri and looks at him through the mirror. “Do you know what this mirror shows me?”

Yuuri sighs, looking at his own reflection in the large mirror. Victor knows he has begun to avoid it recently. “I am terribly huge,” he murmurs and immediately averts his gaze again. “My cheeks are so red that I look like a clown. My feet hurt all the time.”

Victor gently squeezes Yuuri’s arms. “You are not huge, my love. Your belly has grown because you are carrying the most precious gift that the Lord could have possibly given us.”

“I know that,” Yuuri protests in slight annoyance and cups his belly, shaking his head. “I merely… I cannot help but think that… that like this, how could I possibly look desirable still? How could you possibly bear to look at me?”

He turns around in Victor’s arms, looks up at the alpha that cannot believe what he hears, and whose heart aches upon the realisation that his mate is worrying so much all because of him. Has he given Yuuri the impression that he does not find him desirable anymore?

“How could you possibly think so, my Yuuri?” Victor asks softly, taking his mate’s hands. “Have I said something that unsettled you, or made you think this way? Or was it someone else?”

Yuuri sighs and shakes his head, always honest, although he often keeps things to himself, overthinking, until he eventually shares his thoughts. But Victor has learnt with time that sometimes, it is best to confront Yuuri directly, to have him say things right away, before his habit of worrying goes too far.

Truly, Victor does not want Yuuri to think wrongly of him again. Not the way he did when he found that he was pregnant, when he thought that Victor would be angry with him.

His mother has told him before the wedding that in a marriage, communication was just as important as his marital duties.

“I suppose it is my head that tells me so,” Yuuri admits, looking down at their joined hands. They cannot stand as close as they would like because of Yuuri’s belly, but they are close enough for Victor to see the sadness, the disappointment that Yuuri has for himself. “I keep thinking of how unusual a match I am for you. So many wanted to marry you, so many of better social standing than I, and then I was the one who… who got to have you, and who is loved by you. And the thought of having to face them this afternoon is simply… terrifying,” he adds in a whisper, and Victor understands.

They are invited to a garden party at Christophe’s and Phichit’s – a casual gathering, but because it is Chris, also an event of London’s rich and important. It is not the first time Yuuri has gone out into the public since getting married, but Yuuri is shy, hates being looked at, and now that he is pregnant, people will look at him even more. All of this Victor realises at once, and that Yuuri is worried not about himself so much, but about Victor, and how people might react.

Victor closes his eyes for a moment.

“Let us sit down,” he says quietly and pulls Yuuri with him to the bed, sitting down with him and keeping him as close as possible. Not once does he let go of Yuuri’s hands.

Yuuri sniffs. “I know I am a coward.”

Victor shakes his head. “No. You are not a coward, Yuuri. I am very grateful that you are sharing this with me. I know how very prone to worrying you are, my love.” He squeezes Yuuri’s hands gently. “But let us think sensibly for a moment about today. What is your worst fear?”

Yuuri is quiet for a long moment, but Victor is always patient with him, and he gives him all the time he needs to come up with an answer.

“I… I fear that they might… come up to me and say the most terrible things to me,” Yuuri murmurs. “That they might say that I am not good enough for you, that I do not deserve you because I do not come from a good family or—”

“Let us stop right there,” Victor interrupts him softly. “What makes you think that you might not be good enough for me? Because of your family?”

Yuuri blushes as he nods, embarrassed of admitting so. “We have no money,” he says. “We have no riches, no estates. We do not hold any power.”

“That all may be,” Victor says, “but why would that make your family not a good one? Why would other families be better than yours? Money and titles are one thing only, Yuuri. You alone have to think highly of your family, and then me. And I do think highly of them. But you already know that.” He kisses Yuuri’s forehead softly, and as he pulls away, he is overjoyed to see that his mate is smiling a little again. “I chose you, and that is all you need to know, my darling. What others might think will never change what I think of you, or of your mother and sister. Do you understand?”

Yuuri nods softly and leans into Victor, resting his head on his shoulder. “But what am I to do if they do approach me, and speak ill of me, or even worse, of you? I am not witty, nor do I have a sharp tongue like dear Phichit…”

“Then you simply walk away,” Victor says, nuzzling Yuuri’s hair. “You turn around and walk away, and pretend those people don’t exist. And then you come to me, or to dear Phichit or Christophe, to people that you love and trust. The people we love are the only ones that matter.”

“Of course,” Yuuri says, and his hand, his hand that is so small compared to Victor’s, comes to rest on the alpha’s chest, right above his heart.

“And if all else fails,” Victor murmurs, “I will come and defend you, like a knight defends his fair maiden.”

Yuuri chuckles. “You would make a terrible knight,” he says. “You would refuse to wear a helmet because you would be far too worried about your hair.”

“Yuuuuri!”

But finally, the tension has fallen from Yuuri’s shoulders and he is smiling again – and that alone is the most beautiful sight in Victor’s eyes. And so, the alpha kisses his mate, and they rise from the bed.

“Let us go now before dear Phichit starts pouring champagne instead of tea.”

* * *

In the end, they indeed arrive just before Phichit starts pouring champagne out of sheer desperation. Yuuri knows that just like him, Phichit is not a fan of London’s high society and despises mindless chatter only meant to be flattering. It is always good to have a friend around, and Yuuri can see the relief in Phichit’s eyes as they arrive at the garden party. The day is perfect for such a gathering, not too warm and not too cold, with a gentle breeze. Both Victor and Yuuri have dressed perfectly for the occasion in light colours, and Yuuri has to admit that he likes this dress more than he thought he would. Victor has bought it for him, and Victor has good taste indeed.

“Would you like to sit under a parasol?” Victor asks as they walk through the garden of the Giacometti residence, past a few children playing cricket under the ever-watchful eyes of their governesses. “And perhaps drink some tea?”

“That sounds lovely,” Yuuri says and holds onto Victor’s arm. “But only if you sit with me.”

“Of course,” Victor assures him and kisses his temple, making Yuuri blush on the spot. He still is not used to public displays of affection, and knows how very unusual they are. But then again, Victor is an unusual man, and does not care about the looks that others might give him.

They have barely taken their seats under a large parasol as Phichit comes to greet them, impeccably dressed in a summer gown that is most definitely new and incredibly scandalous, for it has trousers with wide legs instead of a skirt. Yuuri could not imagine wearing such a gown himself, but on Phichit, it looks beautiful, and the omega almost looks like the dancer that he once used to be.

“Yuuri!” He chirps and kisses Yuuri on both cheeks several times. “I am so glad you came! And Victor, you too! My dear husband was already looking for you.”

“Oh?” Victor raises an eyebrow. “Then I must go and find him. My darling, I believe you are in the very best hands. Do you mind if I…?”

“Of course not,” Yuuri assures him. “Go and find Christophe before he begins to despair.”

The moment Victor is gone does Phichit take his seat, and he grasps Yuuri’s hands with an excited giggle. “Oh, how stunning you look!” He says. “Pregnancy truly becomes you.”

Yuuri smiles softly, touching his belly. “That is what Victor keeps telling me.”

“And he is telling you the truth,” Phichit says. “You truly look stunning. Are you feeling well? No more sickness in the mornings?”

“No more sickness in the mornings, no,” Yuuri confirms. And oh, how happy he is about that – it has truly been a most uncomfortable time. “But the further along I am, the more my feet hurt. I cannot stand or walk for too long anymore. Victor is most worried, although the doctor has assured me that everything that I experience is normal.”

“You know how alphas can be,” Phichit says. “They worry excessively about us, especially when the first child is on the way. Victor is certainly no exception.”

“He truly is not,” Yuuri agrees and gently rubs his belly where the child is moving, trying to soothe it. “But how about you? How are things going for you and Christophe?”

“Oh, exceptionally well!” Phichit says with a happy smile and claps his hands. “He just landed a deal with a Swiss chocolate company. So we shall travel to Switzerland in the near future, he has said, and I am most excited to go! I have never seen mainland Europe.”

“That sounds amazing,” Yuuri says. “I am so happy for you. I know how much this means to Christophe. That will surely secure his business.”

“He has worked so hard for it,” Phichit says with a nod and pours himself a cup of tea. “During the busiest of days I hardly got to see him. He left early in the morning and came back late at night. It was not a very happy time, but that is over now. No more staying up waiting for my husband to crawl into my bed, no.” Phichit seems very determined, but Yuuri can see that this is not all, that Phichit is not as entirely happy as he should be.

“You missed him very much,” Yuuri says softly, tilting his head to the side.

“Of course I did,” Phichit says with a small huff. “I did not marry him to be on my own all the time.”

“Did you tell him so?” Yuuri asks.

Phichit sighs.

“After some time, I did. He promised to better himself, and he kept that promise,” Phichit assures him and puts the teapot aside. “Our trip to Switzerland will surely make up for all the time we have not been able to spend together. Christophe has promised to take me to all the important places. Geneva, he says, is most beautiful in the sunshine, especially when going for a stroll by the lake. You know that his family is from Switzerland, right? I cannot believe that my husband has never travelled there, not even when he was a student.” Phichit takes a sip from his tea and sighs again. “But that trip will do us good, I believe.”

Yet again, Yuuri sees the smile on Phichit’s face as well as the sadness in his eyes, and he knows that there are things his friend does not tell him.

He looks across the lawn where Christophe stands with Victor and a few other men, talking animatedly. Christophe looks as good as ever to Yuuri, perhaps a little more ecstatic than usual, but why should he not be, with such excellent prospects for the family business. A young boy, perhaps four of five years of age, runs up to the group of men to grab the ball he has shot into their direction. Christophe picks it up and gives it back to the boy, but not without ruffling his hair and giving him what seems to be some advice for his game. It is a lovely sight, one that shows that Christophe, just like Victor, would be an excellent father to children of his own. 

And yet, Phichit sits beside him with sadness in his big, brown eyes, and his shoulders hang low, and he averts his gaze and prefers to look into his cup instead.

“Phichit,” Yuuri says softly. “It is a little warm out here. Would you like to go inside?”

“Yes,” Phichit says quietly and puts the cup aside, rising much faster than would be normal, as if eager to get away from the scene.

Yuuri puts his cup down on the table and rises with him, and with joined arms, they walk up the gravelled path to the house, past the people watching them curiously. But Yuuri cannot find it in himself to care, not when his friend, the person who has accepted him on the spot, is upset and so very much not behaving like his usual self.

It is cool and quiet in the drawing room as they step inside, and Yuuri closes the glass doors carefully behind them. Phichit sits down on the sofa by the fireplace that is not in use in this season, but Yuuri knows that it is Phichit’s favourite spot, and they have spent many joyful hours here. Yuuri joins him there, and here, in the solitude of the drawing room, Phichit no longer hides his sadness. There are tears in his eyes that he tries to wipe away before he says: “Oh my… I did not mean to ruin the day by crying…”

Yuuri pulls out a handkerchief and gives it to his friend so he can dab his eyes. “You did not ruin anything,” he assures him. “But I cannot deny that you make me worry about you.”

“That most certainly was not my intention,” Phichit murmurs and neatly folds the handkerchief on his lap.

To Yuuri, the Giacomettis have always been the perfect couple. In fact, he has admired Christophe and Phichit from the very beginning, has marvelled at how gentle they are with each other, how full of love every word spoken between them is. Just like him and Victor, they have not cared about what people think of them, and Christophe has fought for his love against all odds. It takes a lot to shake such a strong foundation of a marriage, and Yuuri can think of very few scenarios to upset Phichit so. All of them mean no good things.

“Phichit, is everything truly alright between you and Christophe?” Yuuri asks hesitantly.

Phichit shakes his head and closes his eyes as the tears start to flow again, and Yuuri’s heart breaks.

“Oh, Phichit,” he sighs and takes his friend into his arms. “Is… is he having an affair?”

To think that Christophe would seek comfort in the arms of another person has always seemed unthinkable to Yuuri, who always saw the man as one of the most loyal and most devoted. But with Phichit so upset, everything has to be regarded a possibility.

But Phichit shakes his head. “No,” he breathes and sniffs. “No, he’s… he is not having an affair. Not… not yet, at least.”

“But Phichit,” Yuuri says in surprise and cups his cheeks. “Phichit, why would he even consider having an affair? He is working so hard to offer you a life in comfort, and he is taking you to Geneva! He has declared his love to you in front of everyone so many times. Why would he do so if he were about to let himself being led astray?”

Phichit looks like a picture of misery as he sits before him, his hands nervously fidgeting with the handkerchief. Yuuri has seen him overjoyed before, has seen him in excitement, and even in mourning, but never like this.

“We have been married for more than two years now, Chris and I,” Phichit begins quietly. “And we are happy, Yuuri, we really are, but there’s… there is something missing, something that we should have by now. And it is just not happening, Yuuri, no matter how much we try…”

Phichit does not need to specify what he means, for Yuuri understands at once. He touches his belly, touches what he has and Phichit so desires, and he cannot help but feel awful. Of course, he knows that none of this is his fault, that this has nothing to do with him. But only now he realises how terrible Phichit must have felt the moment he told him about his pregnancy, how sad he must have been.

“I’m so sorry to hear that,” Yuuri murmurs, taking Phichit’s hands into his own. “Have you… did… did Christophe say something to you in that regard? Is he disappointed?”

Phichit shakes his head. “He never said anything. He is too kind to do so. But I know that he is disappointed. He must be. After two years, there should… there should be more to a marriage than an endless string of parties and banquets.”

Yuuri gives Phichit’s hands a tender squeeze. If he only knew what to say – if he only knew how Phichit feels, but he does not, for he has been blessed with a child right away, and has never felt the pressure of society in that regard. But he can imagine that for Phichit, the pressure he feels must be even greater than that. For he comes not from a noble family, but used to be a singer and dancer at a cabaret. For London’s elite, he is nothing but a social climber that does not deserve to be amongst them. He has to prove that Christophe did not make the wrong choice.

“Children do not complete a marriage, Phichit,” Yuuri says softly. “My dear Minako was married once, but never had children. Nonetheless, she was loved by her husband, and she loved him. And you love Christophe. Just like he loves you. You should speak to him about what you feel, and about your worries. Only then you can find a solution, together.”

Phichit nods lightly, his gaze moving up to Yuuri’s face, and then dropping down to his belly. “You are the most fortunate of us all,” he says. “What does it feel like?”

Yuuri touches his belly and smiles. “It feels… wonderful,” he says. “I cannot describe it. But I’m sure that you will experience it yourself very soon.”

They are interrupted by familiar voices and sounds of laughter as the glass door leading out to the garden is being opened and their husbands walk in. “You must see it, Victor, you will not believe the details in those particular drawings.”

Only as Christophe sees Phichit he stops in his tracks, paling at the sight of his upset mate that tries to hide his red eyes by turning away. “What is going on?” Christophe asks. “Is everything alright?”

Yuuri rises from the sofa and smooths out his dress. “I think Victor and I should leave you to it,” he says and gives Phichit’s shoulder a reassuring squeeze before walking over to his husband, who looks just as stunned and confused as Christophe. “Come. Let us take a walk through the flower garden. It is so very lovely in this season.”

Thankfully, Victor says nothing but lets Yuuri take him outside, and they close the doors carefully behind them, as well as asking one of the servants to stay by them to make sure their friends will not be disturbed. Only as they are away from the patio does Victor speak up, but Yuuri shakes his head before he can finish his sentence.

“Not here,” he murmurs as they walk past a group of ladies that watch them with more curiosity than would be good for them. They make their way down the path and past the fountains to the flower garden that Phichit has started there, a beautiful piece of land that is the omega’s pride and joy. There, behind the bushes, does Yuuri turn to Victor, and seek comfort in his embrace.

“Yuuri?” Victor says in surprise, his hand cupping the back of Yuuri’s head. “Is everything alright? You did not have a fight with Phichit, no?”

Yuuri shakes his head and breathes in his husband’s comforting scent, feels his warmth and his love. “No. No, we did not fight. He only told me about his worries in regards to his marriage.”

“His worries?” Victor repeats and pulls away just enough to look at Yuuri. “Please do not tell me that Christophe is having an affair!”

Yuuri immediately shakes his head vehemently. “Of course not. But it seems that dear Phichit is worried because they do not have any children yet. He says that he is struggling to conceive.”

“Oh.” It seems that Victor has expected truly everything, but not that, for he looks rather baffled at this revelation.

“Did Christophe say something to you in that regard?” Yuuri asks, gently smoothing out Victor’s jacket. “For Phichit is most worried that his husband might be disappointed in him.”

“He said nothing of the sort,” Victor assures him. “He… He told me that Phichit was a little more distant, lately, but he blamed the change of seasons. Of course, he was also not around as much as he wanted to be recently, but that is about to change. Did Phichit tell you that they are going to Geneva soon?”

Yuuri nods. “But I fear that a trip to Switzerland will not solve their problems. They must speak to each other in true honesty about this matter, for it certainly will not solve itself. Especially not when Phichit worries himself into pieces about it.”

“There you are most certainly right,” Victor sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose. Yuuri knows that Victor, despite being a very sociable man, has never been one to know how to support a friend besides listening. Even if Christophe has told him about a few things, Victor would not know what to say.

In that regard, he very much has his head in the clouds.

“Oh my,” Victor says and takes Yuuri’s hands, bringing them to his lips to kiss his knuckles. “Despite how much it saddens me to hear that our dearest friends are struggling, I cannot deny that I am most relieved about our own fortunate situation. Although I must admit that I did not expect us to have a little one on the way so very soon.”

“Neither did I,” Yuuri chuckles and reaches down to cup his belly. “But the Lord has blessed us for a reason. And I shall pray that He will bless our friends as well.”

“There is my Yuuri,” Victor sighs and kisses his forehead. “My Yuuri, with the kindest of hearts.”

“You flatter me,” Yuuri chuckles and links his arm with Victor’s. “Let us go back and have some tea, yes? I know how you forget to drink, and that might be most fatal in such warm weather.”

Of course, Victor does not protest as they make their way back to the garden party and take a seat under the large parasol where tea and sandwiches are waiting for them. The sun is high in the sky, and indeed, it is getting warmer by the minute. Therefore, others have already sought shelter in the shade, enjoying the refreshments and light conversation. Only the children do not care, but keep playing on the grass, rolling around and laughing to their hearts’ delight. The sight alone warms Yuuri’s heart, and to think that soon, they will have a little one of their own, makes his heart flutter.

After some time, Victor nudges Yuuri to direct his attention to the patio where Christophe and Phichit have emerged from the house, the latter holding onto his husband’s arm as they descend the few stairs into the garden and join their guests again as the perfect hosts. From where he and Victor sit, Yuuri can see that Phichit’s eyes are still a little red, but that the smile on his face is genuine when he looks at Christophe. At last, it seems that they have had the talk that they both so desperately needed.

“I still cannot believe that Mr Giacometti made such a grave mistake,” a woman nearby says to her friend. “To marry one of that sort. Only to think of it!”

“I agree,” her friend replies over her cup of tea. “A cabaret dancer, and a foreigner on top of that. Two years already and without a child! Ah, one can imagine the reason why. Those dancers carry all sorts of horrible illnesses in them that make them essentially barren.” She snorts in disgust. “And now look at him. Those red eyes. That must be just the proof of such an illness. Truly, Mr Giacometti could have done so much better! I suspect that he was led into believing that he had fathered a child. Why else would a man like him marry something like that?”

Yuuri has risen from his chair before Victor nor anyone else would have had time to react. He walks over to the women and splashes the Earl Grey into their faces. The women gasp in shock, but Yuuri has no empathy for them.

“How dare you!” He shouts angrily. “How dare you insult the very person that has arranged all of this! To eat and drink what they serve and then talk badly about them the moment their turn their backs! Do you feel no shame?”

“Yuuri!” Victor calls and rushes to his side, but does not touch him, as if taken aback by his mate’s sudden outburst. Yuuri knows that by now, everyone is looking at them, that the women before him are so shocked by his strong reaction that they do not dare to say a single thing, but he is not done yet. No, he will not be quiet and docile, like the world wants him to be, and listen to his dearest friend being terribly insulted in his own home.

“You speak of propriety and class whilst you yourselves have none!” Yuuri says angrily, and the women even shrink on their seats. “It does not matter who he was, or where he came from, for he is now most beloved by his husband, and a thousand times more honourable than you are!”

Christophe and Phichit arrive at the seating area just at the same time as the women’s husbands, who look in shock at the angry, outspoken omega that is still glaring at their wives with unrestrained fury.

“I believe that it is time for us to go,” one of the alphas says and takes his wife by the arm, leading her away. The other one promptly follows, neither of their husbands turning to say goodbye to Christophe or Phichit, or to even apologise for their wives.

“Yuuri,” Phichit sniffs and wraps his arms around him. “Thank you.”

“I must say,” Christophe says, sounding a little out of breath, “that your mate never fails to surprise me, dear Victor.”

“Well…” Victor manages to say, but is otherwise at an utter loss for words.

Phichit pulls away from Yuuri with tears in his eyes, but this time, they are no tears of sadness. “You are the most wonderful of friends that I could have possibly hoped for,” he says weakly. “How could I ever show my gratitude?”

“By speaking to Christophe in true honesty in every regard,” Yuuri says and hugs his friend again, kissing his cheek. “And by being the happiest you could possibly be.”

“We will,” Christophe says and touches Phichit’s back. “We… we will use our trip to Geneva to speak about all the things that are amiss. Did we not say so, darling?”

Phichit nods and pulls away from Yuuri’s embrace to take his husband’s arm. “We will. We… we will speak about everything. And we will put not so much pressure on ourselves. I think that is where we have to start.” He looks up at Christophe in a way that is more hopeful than ever before, and Yuuri knows in that moment that their friends are going to be fine.

“That sounds very sensible,” Victor says and puts an arm around Yuuri’s waist. “Now I fear we might have drawn all the attention to ourselves. But you know my Yuuri. He cannot tolerate injustice.”

“Don’t pretend as if you were not most delighted by his nature,” Christophe chuckles. “Yuuri, thank you for defending Phichit’s honour.”

Yuuri blushes. “I apologise for making such a scene. And for reacting so harshly.”

Christophe makes a dismissive gesture with his hand. “Those men want something from _me_ , not the other way round. And I could not care less about their wives. If anything, your little outburst has only made our gathering much more lively! How about some music? I do feel like dancing with my darling now, how about you, Victor?”

In the end, no one truly bat an eye at the unexpected turns he afternoon took, from a simple garden party to yet another successful social event hosted by the Giacomettis, including food, drinks, and excellent entertainment provided by the hosts themselves. It is past nine in the evening already as Victor and Yuuri arrive at their own home again, the latter very much exhausted but happy as he can finally take off his dress and change into his comfortable nightgown, and get ready for bed.

“You should have seen him, Clara,” Victor tells the loyal maid as he sits down on the mattress in his dressing gown. “So strong and fierce as he defended our dear friend.”

“I could not just sit there and listen to these horrible women,” Yuuri defends himself as the blush rises to his cheeks.

Clara smiles proudly. “You told them right, your lordship. They truly behaved in a shameful way. Even more in Mr Giacometti’s very own home!”

“Precisely,” Yuuri says and takes the cream from the dressing table to lotion his hands. “Dear Phichit was so kind to them at all times. And look how they treated him.”

“Mr Giacometti is such a kind man, your lordship,” Clara says and puts the dress away. “Everyone likes him downstairs. He is always friendly, and always has a smile on his face.”

“Not so much these days, I’m afraid,” Yuuri sighs and turns around on the stool. “But I am sure that there are happier times to come for them, now that they are travelling to Switzerland.”

“Indeed,” Victor agrees. “Sometimes all it takes is a change of scenery. Lucky them.”

Clara chuckles and picks up Yuuri’s shoes to take them with her for cleaning. “Is that everything, your lordship?”

“Yes, thank you, Clara,” Yuuri says softly. “Good night.”

Clara bows her head to them both before leaving, carefully closing the door behind herself.

Yuuri yawns and gets up, joining Victor by the bed, who holds out his hands for Yuuri to take.

“A change of scenery, hm?” Yuuri says and comes to stand between Victor’s legs, lacing their fingers together. “You said ‘lucky them’. Do you want to travel, too?”

“Ah, maybe not now,” Victor says and puts their hands on Yuuri’s belly. “But perhaps in the future, when we have our little one. A trip to Edinburgh, maybe? Or to a remote manor in the highlands, where no one can disturb us…?”

Yuuri chuckles and leans down to kiss Victor’s forehead. “You only think of scandalous things.”

“How can I not?” Victor asks innocently. “With a goddess right here in front of—” He suddenly falls silent, and Yuuri is about to ask if he is alright when he feels it, the gentle, yet firm kick of their baby, right against Victor’s palm.

It is a marvellous thing to see Victor react to his child, to see his face change from surprise to sheer awe and adoration, to see his eyes fill with the love he already has for their baby that they have yet to meet. He shuffles forward to the very edge of the bed and kisses Yuuri’s belly, on his face the most beautiful of smiles. “Hello, darling,” Victor whispers, and Yuuri’s eyes fill with tears at the tenderness of his husband, who has given him the world and so much more in these few months that they have been together, and who will never fail to shower him with love.

“Your mama and I cannot wait to meet you,” Victor whispers to their child, gently caressing Yuuri’s belly. “But until then, you must grow a little more, and become healthy and strong. And when you are ready, we will be here to meet you.”

“Vitya…” Yuuri breathes and sinks into his arm, burying his face in his shoulder, and the world is at peace.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope this gave you warm and fuzzy feelings <3   
> Let me know what you think!


End file.
